


Roulette

by Tiofrean



Series: Do the next right thing or the next thing right [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Pre-Apocalypse, Werewolf Bites, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 15:21:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12914688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiofrean/pseuds/Tiofrean
Summary: Things settled over time in Daryl's little shack. Carl was healthy, Rick and Daryl were in love. Everything would be just peachy if Rick hadn't bitten Daryl by accident, turning him into a werewolf.Or that fic where Rick helps Daryl through his transformation and tries not to fall apart himself.





	Roulette

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sorran](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorran/gifts).



> Guys... I wrote a thing. And the thing probably doesn't need you to read the _first_ thing, but if you want to know everything that happened, it's a good idea. 
> 
> Many thanks to [Sorran](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorran) for brainstorming it with me and betaing this for you! Thank you for this, Wolf Lady <3 As my gratitude, this fic is now dedicated to you. Enjoy :D

Things in Daryl’s little shack had settled a bit over time. Carl had gotten better with every day and now he was a healthy ten-year-old, jumping around merrily, switching in and out of his wolf form. Daryl and Rick were seated on the porch, delighting in the slowly falling evening, watching Carl intently as he attempted to catch a small hare. The animal gave a few wild jumps in front of a very confused wolf cub and dove inside a tiny bush, disappearing in it. Carl gave a disappointed whine and Daryl chuckled.

“He’s gonna run out in the back, catch ‘im” he hollered and Rick laughed, watching the hare doing just that, still quicker than Carl, effectively escaping into the forest. Carl watched him go, panting and scowling, before he dragged himself back to the porch, a pout evident even in his wolf form. He bypassed Rick and Daryl, trudged into the house and transformed himself back as soon as he was inside. When he reappeared next to them a few moments later, he was wearing loose-fitting pants and was tugging on a sweatshirt. Rick hummed with approval, the night was going to be chilly, and werewolf or not, he liked his kid to stay warm.

“Ya almost got ‘im, kid” Daryl praised, but Carl only pouted harder, sitting next to them on the step, eyes zeroing in on the place where the hare had disappeared in the woods.  
“It’s the third time he got away from me” there was an angry growl escaping his lips and Rick chuckled.  
“You can’t always win, right Daryl?”  
“Yep. Yer da’s right, good hunting needs practice. Ya’ll get there” Daryl brought his hand to Carl’s head and affectionately mussed his hair, earning a scowl in return. But that seemed to have taken the edge off, and there was no anger behind that scowl.

“Daryl?” Carl piped up after a few bits of silence.  
“Mhm?”  
“How are you so good at hunting?” He asked, curious eyes looking at Daryl. Rick smiled slightly, seeing the awe in his son’s eyes.  
“I needed to eat something, and t’ woods had a lot a’ food runnin’ around” Daryl shrugged, picking up a stray rock and tossing it. Rick could feel just how uncomfortable he was, but Daryl didn’t let it show. The anxiety was pouring out of him in waves Rick could _smell_ in the air around them, so he leaned in and nosed at Daryl’s shoulder, humming slightly.

“Tell ya what, ya get yer room cleaned up and go to sleep at a normal hour and I’ll teach ya some tomorrow” Daryl looked over at Carl and had to grin at the excited look in the boy’s eyes.  
“Oh my god! Dad?” He looked at Rick, asking permission, even if they both knew Rick would be okay with it.  
“Well… you heard the deal, get the room clean and you can go with Daryl” Rick winked at the hunter and Daryl looked away, swallowing heavily. He could hear Carl’s happy shout of ‘yesssss!’ and his bouncing steps as he basically ran into the house to start with his chores.

“Finally” Rick whispered and tucked his face into Daryl’s neck, inhaling loudly. He felt Daryl’s hand sneak around him and hummed when the strong arm tugged him closer, pressing him to the hunter’s side. Rick’s hand moved on its own accord as it crawled into Daryl’s lap and started to trail up and down his thigh, occasionally dipping between his legs, making Daryl gasp. Rick loved those little moments of peace… He hadn’t had the luxury of an intimate contact with another human being for such a long time before Daryl happened, and now it seemed that they were actually made for each other. Rick closed his eyes and tried to will away any tension left in his lover’s body, humming low in his throat and nuzzling his face into Daryl’s neck. It was heaven, until they heard footsteps behind them and sprang apart as if burned, Daryl keeping his face carefully blank and Rick blushing to high hell.

“If you want to be alone you can just ask, you know?” Carl said behind them, and Rick turned around to look at him.  
“And why would we do that?” He asked, a bit riled up, but mostly embarrassed at being caught by his son.  
“Well, you two like to hug when I’m not around” Carl shrugged and Rick raised one eyebrow at him.  
“And how do you know that?”  
“I’m not _blind_ , dad” Carl rolled his eyes. “You can hug if you like, I don’t mind. I just came to ask when’s dinner?”

Daryl had to work really hard not to groan through the whole conversation. Right now, he was trying desperately to hold his voice even as he answered.  
“As soon as I cook that deer stew I told you about, so I guess in an hour?”  
“Cool” Carl answered and went back inside.

“Oh god” Rick exhaled and rubbed his face with both hands.  
“Well… that could have gone worse” Daryl stated carefully. He didn’t know what their official status was, but he was pretty sure Rick wanted to keep living here. Daryl wanted them to keep living here. He wanted Rick to keep sleeping in his bed and he wanted to keep things just as they were. But what if Carl didn’t want that? Sure he didn’t mind them cuddling, but what if he learned later on that they were in an actual relationship? That Daryl was stepping in in place of his mom?

“What are you thinking about, huh?” Rick broke his train of thoughts and thank god he did, because Daryl had already been spiralling down the tunnel of ‘are we in a relationship yet?’.  
“Nothin’” Daryl gruffed and shrugged, the air leaving his lungs on a long exhale when Rick wrapped both arms around his waist.  
“Mhm, and that nothin’ got you all tense, huh?” Rick huffed and Daryl could hear the smile in his voice. Next thing Daryl knew, there were lips mouthing gently at his neck, a hint of tongue peeking out to lick over his pulse point and he leaned away.  
“Don’t push it. Yer kid has the worst timing” he said, but smiled when Rick stared at him. For a moment he looked like a kicked puppy, all big eyes and a small, sad pout. Daryl growled and tugged him in for a kiss, before they both made their way inside to start dinner.

 

-&-

 

Dinner was a quiet affair. Carl had seemingly forgotten that he had walked in on them on the porch, or so they had thought, until the kid opened his mouth and Rick choked on his food. After he stopped coughing his lungs - and a big spoonful of the stew - out, Carl had to repeat the question.

“Are you together now?” He asked, so casually Daryl envied him his nonchalance. Rick finally finished his coughing fit and looked at his son.  
“Do you know what that even means?” He asked carefully, side-eyeing Daryl.  
“Yeah, like… before mom went away, you two were together, right?” Carl asked and Rick nodded for him to continue. “You were sleeping in the same bed and hugging and kissing…” Carl looked between him and Daryl, who had completely frozen in place.  
“Would that bother you? If we were together?” Rick asked, and Carl made a face as if he was thinking hard. Daryl’s heartbeat picked up, something Rick could hear with his wolf senses, and he discreetly placed his hand on Daryl’s thigh, squeezing softly. The hunter looked at him, lips pressed tightly shut.

“Yeah… I mean, no. Just the kissing part” Carl answered and Rick’s heart made a flip. But thankfully, Carl continued. “It’s fine, it’s just… _gross_ ” he said with that expression every kid made when they wanted to express how ‘eeeeeewwww’ something was without actually saying it out loud.  
“It’s what adults do” Rick started, but Carl interrupted him.  
“Yeah, I know… it’s just gross. I never knew why you and mom did it” and there was that scrunched face again, and this time Rick had to laugh. It suddenly felt as if a ton of bricks had been lifted from his shoulders. Carl’s comment meant that he didn’t mind him and Daryl kissing, just _kissing_ in general.  
“We’ll make you a deal. We won’t kiss in front of you if you won’t sneak up on us” Rick smiled when Carl pretended to think it over.  
“Deal” he exclaimed happily, finishing his stew in a few gulps straight from the bowl.

“I know I promised to go to sleep early, but can I read that comic Daryl brought me before bed?” He asked, hope shining through like a little sun. Rick chuckled and nodded.  
“Just don’t take too long” he watched a very happy Carl almost jump back to his room, closing the door and shouting ‘Night!’ at them. He turned to Daryl, noticing how the hunter still sat there stone-faced.  
“Well, what do you think?” Rick asked, ready to move closer and hug his mate. Daryl didn’t even twitch. He was staring into space, jaw working. Then he stood up abruptly, and Rick was glad he hadn’t had the time to get into Daryl’s lap, because he would have been dumped on the floor right now.  
“Need to piss” Daryl threw at him and walked out of the house. Rick watched him go, not mentioning that they had a fully functional bathroom inside.

 

-&-

 

When Daryl came back almost an hour later, he was soaked to the bone. The rain had started sometime after he had left, and now he was standing in their bedroom, dripping all over the floor, looking miserable and cold. But his eyes were sharp when they met with Rick’s and he gave a small nod to the unspoken question asked with raised eyebrows.

“Ya didn’t have to wait up” Daryl mumbled, instantly feeling bad for just leaving Rick like that. But Rick shook his head.  
“Can’t sleep without you” he stood up and walked to Daryl, happy when his mate didn’t just turn around and walk away. “I’m glad you’re back” Rick whispered, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. It was brief and soft, but it made Daryl shiver, and he closed his eyes and followed Rick when he tried to pull away. They stumbled back and landed on the bed, and Rick tugged them both higher, laying them down.

“Sorry… I just needed a stroll…” Daryl whispered, stretching on his side next to Rick.  
“I know. You smell like pine and fresh rain” Rick closed his eyes and tucked his face into Daryl’s neck, inhaling deeply. His hands fisted in Daryl’s soggy wet shirt and he pressed closer. “I guess that talk with Carl was a bit too much, huh?”  
“Yeah… but…”  
“But?”  
“‘m happy that he’s okay with us” Daryl muttered, closing his eyes and heaving a deep sigh. Rick nuzzled at his throat, nosing it gently and kissing every now and then.

They fell asleep like that, moving apart only to divest Daryl from his wet clothes and to wrap themselves in the blankets.

 

-&-

 

When Daryl woke up, it was still dark outside. He looked around, almost sure that something must have woken him up, but the house was quiet, except for Rick’s peaceful snoring next to him. He tried to fall asleep again, but something felt wrong. He carefully turned around and slipped out of bed, grabbed his pajama pants and tugged them on. He padded silently to the door and looked into the corridor, squinting his eyes when he saw light in the kitchen.

If there had been an intruder in the house - something Daryl very much doubted considering they were in the middle of nowhere - they wouldn’t have put on the lights. So the only explanation was it was one of them. With Rick still soundly asleep, the only possibility left was Carl.

Sure enough, when Daryl walked into the kitchen, eyes scrunching in the sudden brightness of it, Carl was there, sitting at the table and sipping a glass of juice. Daryl nodded at him and he nodded back, and Daryl padded closer and seated himself on one of the chairs.  
“Ya mind?” Daryl asked, pointing at the juice carton, grabbing it and taking a hearty gulp when Carl just shrugged and continued sipping from his glass. There was a small rustle somewhere in the house but Daryl ignored it for now. “Ya alright?” Daryl inquired, looking at him, wiping his mouth with his hand. Carl nodded.  
“Yeah… I just… I had a dream” he looked angrily at his juice and Daryl turned to face him properly.  
“Wanna talk about it?” He had never thought that he would be the one looking for conversation, much less willingly, but Rick’s son was something precious and Daryl wanted to protect him. If it meant talking to him in the middle of the night, so be it.

“I was back in the woods… after I got shot. Dad wasn’t there. It was just like the last time… but…”  
“But?”  
“But this time when he went out he didn’t come back with you. He just… disappeared” Carl set his jaw tight and blinked furiously, and Daryl had a need to hug him, hold him close and never let go. But, he didn’t know if he should, wasn’t sure if it would be alright… Thankfully, Carl decided for him when he just jumped off of his chair and threw himself at Daryl, small arms wrapping around his waist. Daryl hugged him, humming quietly, smiling when he heard a small whisper.

“I’m happy he found you” Carl mumbled into his chest and pulled away, smiling shyly.  
“Go to bed, huh? We have huntin’ to learn tomorrow” Daryl prompted and Carl grinned.  
“Goodnight, Daryl.”  
“Nite, kid” Daryl nodded at him and watched him go, still sitting at the table. “You can come out Rick” he huffed when he heard Rick chuckle. Footsteps followed, footsteps he had heard padding in the corridor earlier, when he had been talking to Carl.

“Didn’t know you heard me” Rick smiled, walking a few steps and standing in the dull light of the kitchen lamp. Daryl turned around to face him, smirking.  
“Hunter, remember?”  
“You talked to Carl” Rick said, more a statement than a question.  
“Yeah, he looked like he needed it” Daryl just shrugged and looked down, not really sure if it was what he was supposed to do.  
“You don’t really like to talk” Rick must have picked up on this sometime between when they had first started to live together and now.  
“He looked like…” Daryl started to say again, but was cut off when two hands moved with intent and gripped his shoulders with surprising strength. Rick dragged him out of the chair he had been sitting in and turned them around, pressing him into the nearest wall and smashing their lips together.

Daryl had only had a brief second to draw in a surprised breath, before Rick started kissing him wildly, growling a bit in that wolfish way that made Daryl’s toes curl into the cold tiles under his feet. The way Rick devoured his mouth was too urgent to end up just being a kiss, which was quickly confirmed by Rick’s hips pressing into Daryl’s, grinding into him while Rick shuddered.  
“Wait” Daryl broke off with a moan. “Not ‘ere” he nodded his head in the direction of their bedroom and Rick reluctantly detached himself, following Daryl through the house.

As soon as they stepped closer to the bed, Rick pushed Daryl down on it, attacking his mouth once again. Daryl huffed out a quiet laugh and let him do whatever he wanted, feeling any tension that hadn’t been cured by his earlier walk leave his body all at once. Rick must have sensed the change, because he melted into him, plastering himself to Daryl’s front and starting a slow, fiery trail of little bites down his body. He sucked and nipped at every sensitive place he knew, and soon, Daryl was writhing on the bed, hips bucking up, rubbing his hard-on into any expanse of Rick’s skin he could find. This made Rick purr loudly, the wolf within getting very pleased for having teased that reaction out of his mate. Because that was what Daryl was, no matter how desperately Rick tried to talk himself out of it.

During the time they had spent together, Rick and Daryl had gotten even closer, their living arrangements making it possible to get to know each other inside and out. Now, they were like an unofficial family, and even though they never said those three magical words aloud, they both felt it inside. And Rick’s wolfish side knew them as well and couldn’t stop those little possessive thoughts that whispered ‘mine’ over and over again when they were together like this. Daryl was his - his saviour, his friend, his _mate_ \- and it was visible in every way imaginable. They lived together, they hunted and ate together, they smelled like each other… They were doing _this_ together...

Rick growled quietly, licking over Daryl’s neck, hands busy with their clumsy, rushed dance designed for disrobing both of them as quickly as possible. Once they were both naked and groaning quietly, Rick pulled away, looking down at Daryl with hunger barely concealed in his eyes. Daryl was his _pack_ and his _mate_ and he had just talked to Carl and managed to settle his nerves and _everything was right in the universe again_.  
“Turn around?” Rick whispered, kissing Daryl for good measure before the hunter turned around and pressed himself against Rick’s chest, humming at the way Rick’s arms immediately went around him, keeping him in place. He could feel just how aroused Rick was, how his body thrummed with desire, how hot his length was where it pressed against his ass.

Daryl made to grab the lube from the drawer of his night table, trying to stretch his arm to reach it, but Rick held him closer still and just bucked his hips against him.  
“No” Rick shook his head, forehead pressed against the nape of Daryl’s neck and his curls tickling the sensitive skin there. He had cut them a bit, along with his beard, but he still had this mountain man look going on that drove Daryl crazy.  
“What?” Daryl wasn’t concerned. He knew Rick would never hurt him so it was obviously a change of plans. But he was still curious as to why.  
“I… can’t. Like this” Rick licked and kissed his shoulder, sending little shivers up Daryl’s spine. He arched back a bit, relaxing in Rick’s embrace and dropping the subject of lube, bringing his hand back instead and threading his fingers through the wild mane of curls.

“Why? Thought ya wanted to” he almost whispered, the tone of his voice becoming hushed as it always did in the night, even if they were alone in the room.  
“The way you spoke to my son… It was like we’re mated… I could shift. I could hurt you” Rick continued to nibble at Daryl’s shoulder, hands wandering all over Daryl’s front, tweaking his nipples and scratching his abdomen gently, making Daryl hiss with pleasure. Rick’s hips started a slow rocking motion, not enough to get him off, not yet, but enough to ease the feeling. “Safer like this…”  
“Oh yeah? Ya wanna shift?” The slow grinding that Rick had going was driving Daryl mad, and he wanted it a bit faster, a bit harder. It was wonderful, but not enough to get him off… And Rick’s hands were nowhere near his cock, now hard and aching, hanging heavy between his legs. “Ya can shift, Rick.”

The sharp intake of breath behind him told him just how badly Rick wanted to, but he had a steel grip on his instincts in his human form, and Daryl knew he was afraid to let it go too much.  
“Can’t ya like… shift jus’ a bit? Jus’ some of it?” Rick froze for the tiniest of moments and let out a long breath, before his body picked up the rhythm again. He pressed his face between Daryl’s shoulder blades and groaned.  
“ _Don’t tempt me_ ” Rick whispered and there was something so desperate in that phrase.  
“Ya can if ya want” Daryl moaned out, pressing back against him. The slide of their bodies slowly became easier thanks to how much Rick was leaking precome by now. The sweat helped too, and Daryl wondered when had he turned into such a pig, but damn it, _he loved it_. And then, Rick’s hand finally wandered lower, wrapping around Daryl’s cock and giving him a tight squeeze, before Rick started to move it at a matching pace.

“Ah, _fuck_ ” Daryl groaned, back arching a bit, when Rick twisted his hand at the head. His other hand was splayed over Daryl’s heart, fingers flexing with every move, as if he wanted to mold them both together. Suddenly, those fingers became heavy and sharp and Daryl gasped, looking down. Rick’s hand had changed, some of his wolfish nature coming out to play. The nails were now claws and his skin was furry and rippling, the inside of his palm growing warmer and fuller. The arm holding him close was no longer an arm but a curious hybrid between the human and animal physiology. The other hand that was holding Daryl’s cock however was still decidedly clawless.

Daryl didn’t really know what to do with this. His mind reminded him suddenly that Rick was indeed a huge and dangerous beast and that what he was doing right now was extremely dangerous. But then Rick had always been this and had never even once threatened him - quite the opposite in fact. Everything he did had always been considerate and loving and Daryl was sure Rick would keep on going the same way. But all that didn’t stop his body from responding, the little thrill that Rick’s nature caused cruising through Daryl’s veins and making everything more intense. He moaned loudly and turned his head just a bit to catch Rick with the corner of his vision.

Rick’s face was different, the change visible even under the wild mane of curls that had fallen into his eyes. Those handsome cheekbones looked more pronounced, the jaw less defined, the beard changed its color and the one ear Daryl could see seemed longer. But Rick’s eyes were still the same - sharp, blue and filled with passion.  
“Fuck yeah” Daryl whispered, turning back around and bracing himself with his hands in front of him. Rick’s whole body started to shift in tiny bits, the control he had fought for so much slipping with every second. His frame expanded and pressed down on Daryl’s back, making him squirm and pant, the hands shifted their hold and just circled Daryl’s waist now, both of them furred and clawed. Rick’s voice turned to growls and huffs and his teeth grew sharper. He continued to lick at Daryl’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck from time to time, while his hips increased the rhythm of their thrusts. Daryl went with it, bucking back against the sensation, moaning every time Rick’s knot - very much present in this mixed form - caught on his hole.  
“Ahhh fuck” Rick wasn’t inside him, but the weight of him on Daryl’s back, the force behind each shove against Daryl’s ass was enough to make him feel as if they were going all the way.

It didn’t last long though. Not with the way Rick’s changed voice sounded when he tried to say Daryl’s name through half-working vocal chords. He sounded more scratchy than Daryl after chain-smoking a whole pack and the deep rumble that accompanied every exhale sent liquid fire down Daryl’s spine.  
“Rick… not gonna last” he huffed out, biting his lip to stop himself from being too loud. Carl probably still wasn’t asleep and it would do him no good to listen to what they were doing. But Rick seemed too far gone to keep quiet - his wolfish noises gained in volume and a very helpless whine joined the already too loud sounds.

“ _Dar’l_ ” Rick ground out, and the desperate tone of his voice shot right to Daryl’s cock. He quickly wrapped a hand around himself and in a few quick tugs Daryl was coming all over the bed, biting a pillow to stop the wail from escaping. He could feel Rick coming all over his ass, he could feel Rick biting into his shoulder to shut himself up, but it all barely registered in Daryl’s brain. What was important was the bliss he had fallen into and Rick’s boneless weight pressing him down into the mattress.

 

-&-

 

When his brain came back online, Daryl was immediately aware of two things - one: Rick was lying on him licking his shoulder, and two: Rick was trembling. Daryl frowned, reaching out with one hand to where they kept a spare blanket in case it was needed, but his fingers met only air. He frowned harder and tried to turn around, but Rick kept lying on him and licking his shoulder with single-minded determination and _what the hell was that about?_

He pushed himself up decidedly, dislodging Rick and turning around finally, only to find Rick’s wild eyes looking at him with an expression so full of fear, Daryl was ready to jump out of bed and grab the nearest weapon he could find. But before he jack-knifed out of their comfortable nest, he took one more look at his man only to discover that Rick was actually _shaking_.  
“What’s wrong?” Daryl asked but Rick closed his eyes and shook his head and just curled up next to him into a tight ball. Daryl, still on high alert, scanned the whole room for any threats and finding none, he tried to listen to what was going on in the house. Apparently everything was fine, so he turned to face Rick and reached out gently with one hand to lift his chin up. His shoulder throbbed with a dull ache and he winced, but continued, set on discovering what got Rick so distraught.

It took some tugging and coaxing but Rick finally looked at him, eyes red and lips trembling.  
“I’m sorry, _I’m so sorry…_ ” Rick started to say but it drifted out on a sob and he tried to curl up again. Daryl was having none of it and stopped him, directing Rick to press up against his own chest instead. He was in his full human form now, any traces of the wolf gone, and like this, he was decidedly leaner than Daryl - a fact of which Daryl took full advantage, and wrapped both arms tightly around him.  
“What happened?” He asked quietly, feeling the quaking in Rick’s body getting worse. He waited for an answer, but all that came was more whispers from Rick, laced with sobbing, staccato breaths and Daryl felt a nasty shiver rack up his frame.

It took Rick a while to calm down, and Daryl was slowly falling back asleep, the exhaustion pulling him under, when he finally heard Rick’s voice again.  
“I didn’t want to bite you… I’m sorry, Daryl, I really didn’t” Rick whispered, raising his eyes slowly. Daryl frowned - so that was why his shoulder was feeling all funky.  
“‘s alright, I’ve had worse” he tried but Rick shook his head vehemently.  
“ _No!_ You don’t get it…” Rick paused, taking in a long breath and letting it go on a swishing exhale. Daryl waited, frowning. “ _Oh god_ … what have I _done…_ ” Rick groaned and closed his eyes again, pressing his forehead to Daryl’s shoulder.  
“Tell me” Daryl prompted, slightly more nervous now. Rick’s trembling was coming back again and Daryl hoped that Rick was only overreacting. Not that the man was prone to do that, but shit, they had just had some amazing sex and Daryl had heard that it could fuck people up a bit emotion-wise. And he was getting sleepy again, that fuzzy, warm feeling of being completely sated creeping into his bones and making his body heavy.

“I bit you when I was… in my wolf form. I bit you in my wolf form. And when I do this… The _teeth_ are out and… _Oh god_ … I’m sorry” he stumbled over the explanation and Daryl brought one hand to Rick’s head and started to thread his fingers through his wild curls to calm him down a bit. They were warm and in a bed together, and Daryl’s body just wanted to go to sleep and not worry about anything.  
“So what… ya bit me, big deal… ‘m fine” Daryl huffed out but Rick shook his head again.  
“You may change… You may change into a wolf… _fuck!_ ” The curse at the end was a bit louder but it still sounded weak. Daryl paused his hand, taking the information in. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of becoming a wolf... Actually, it seemed kind of fitting, he had spent half of his life in the woods anyway. Plus, he had fallen for Rick and he had fallen hard and he was strangely alright with it. Sharing this part of his life didn’t seem so bad, maybe being a wolf would only make it better?  
“So whatcha sayin’ is I may be like you now?”  
“...yeah” Rick whispered and swallowed audibly. He tensed all over when Daryl’s hand in his hair stopped and was steeling himself for the rejection that was sure to come now. Why would Daryl want him around after he acted so fucking recklessly?

“Okay” Daryl said stifling a yawn, but Rick shook his head again.  
“It’s _not…_ I’m-”  
“If ya’re gonna say _sorry_ one more time ‘m gonna flip” Daryl growled out and Rick froze. “I said _it’s okay_. It’s fine…”  
“No… God, Daryl, you have no idea what you’re in for” Rick said in a weak voice but Daryl just hummed quietly. It was the middle of the night and _why was Rick still talking?_  
“We’ll get through it… right?” He waited until Rick nodded. “Alright. So how’s it gonna be?” He could actually feel Rick’s wince.  
“Gonna hurt.”  
“How bad?” Daryl asked, because fuck, he’d been in pain before, he could probably handle this.  
“Bad… I’m-”  
“Ya gonna be here?” Daryl interrupted. Rick pulled away and looked at him hearing that and Daryl couldn’t help but smile. Rick looked at him with such an incredulous look that in that moment Daryl was sure the man would follow him into hell and back. It was as if Rick didn’t really get how Daryl could even ask.  
“ _Of course_ ” Rick stated, voice filled with emotions and throat tight.  
“Okay” Daryl nodded. “How much time do we have?”  
“I don’t _know…_ ”  
“Fuck it. Let’s get some sleep?”

And just like that they settled down, Daryl on his back, Rick wrapped around him like a protective blanket. The actual blanket was pulled over their bodies a few minutes later when Daryl’s breathing evened out a bit and he started to fall asleep. Rick couldn’t bring himself to do the same, too caught up in his own mistake. He settled for watching Daryl sleep and making sure he would be rested for whatever was to come.

 

-&-

 

Rick remembered well the moment he had been bitten by a wolf in the middle of a night call. He had just started his job, his first year in the King County Sheriff’s Department. One late night call about burglary, Shane and him on the case, and then the life he had known went out the window. It had turned out the burglar was no ordinary guy, but a werewolf. In a moment of blind panic he had bitten Rick on the leg, but not before Shane had emptied his Glock into him. At first what had scared Rick the most was the sheer size of the wolf that had lunged at him in the darkness of the night. With time it had become apparent that the size of it and the bite itself had been the least of his problems.

The next morning had greeted Rick with fever and pain unlike anything he had ever felt. First, his skin had seemed to be set on fire, then it had only gotten worse. It had felt as if his very bones had been breaking, shattering into tiny pieces and grinding together just to make him howl in pain. And he had howled. Shane had been going nuts, Lori, too, the two of them escorting Rick to the hospital as soon as it had become apparent that something had been terribly wrong. But the doctors hadn’t been able to tell what the hell had been wrong with him. At first, upon seeing the gigantic bite on his leg, they had suspected rabies. Then, when the progress of whatever-the-hell-it-had-been had made them lightheaded with its speed, they had started to think about drugs. Maybe he had taken something? Had he been sure? But all the tests had come back negative, and in the end all they had been able to do had turned out to be pumping him full of morphine and waiting for him to die.

But Rick had lived on. The pain had slowly abated and he had woken up with a fuzzy head only to find Shane looking at him with horror written all over his face. It had been dark all around again, so Rick had guessed it must have been the next night already. _Rick, fuck! What the hell’s wrong with you brother?_ Shane’s words were still clear in Rick’s mind even now. He had changed into the wolf right in front of Shane, his body finishing the transformation and scaring his friend half to death. It had only been Rick’s luck that Shane had always had his head on his shoulders. They had never told the doctors what happened in the hospital bed that night, how Rick had shifted and then shifted back. The next day he had greeted the staff as if nothing had happened and the hospital had been way too happy to put it between other medical miracles and close the case.

Lori had reacted violently at first. Then she had seemed to be getting used to it all. Then Carl had been born and had started to grow up, and everything had shifted once again when Lori had left him, not being able to stand her kid turning into a monster on daily basis. Other people had chimed in, the townsmen not really keen on having two beasts living among _normal people_. Rick and Carl had gone into the woods and had been trying to make do for almost a year. The winter had proved to be too much for them, though, especially when Carl had gotten shot. Had it not been for Daryl, he wouldn’t be alive now, probably. And Rick wouldn’t be either, and he knew that for a fact.

And now this wonderful man, so close to Rick’s heart, the one he had started to consider his human mate and found his happiness with, was lying on the bed, the first signs of fever starting with tiny shivers and a worrisome crease on Daryl’s forehead. It was morning already and Rick hadn’t slept even for a minute. He was too scared and nervous to lay his head down. He sighed and got up from his spot next to Daryl.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered, even though he knew Daryl was still asleep. He had never wished this to happen. He knew just how much pain it could cause. He knew just how dangerous it had been. Back when it had been him turning, whining and howling from pain, crying out for help that had been too slow coming, it had almost felt like if he had been dying. Later, Rick had realized that he probably had been.

He shook his head to clear it a bit, snatched a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and tugged them on. He walked out of the room, going straight to Carl’s and knocking on the door. They had placed Carl in Daryl’s spare bedroom and it had become his own little kingdom ever since. Hearing no reply, Rick quietly opened the door, heart melting at the sight which greeted him.

Carl was sleeping on his belly, head turned slightly to Rick, snoring softly into the forest-green pillow Daryl had given him. He was ten years old now, growing bigger and smarter with every day that passed, but Rick still felt a surge of protectiveness every time he looked at his son. He was so glad Carl had never had to go through the transformation - he had been born like this, conceived after Rick had already been changed, the wolf genes passed on and ensuring that his first shift had not been an effect of a traumatic event.

Rick sighed again and kneeled next to the bed, placing one hand gently on Carl’s head. The boy stirred and blinked his eyes open, looking blearily at Rick.  
“Hey” he smiled at his son, shushing him when he started to push himself up. “It’s still early.”  
“What’s going on?” Carl asked, rubbing at one eye with his hand. Rick ran one hand down his face and moved to sit on the bed, looking down at him.  
“Need to talk to you about something” he watched as Carl nodded, looking at him with all the seriousness a ten-year-old could muster and he suddenly felt bad for the way they lived. Carl shouldn’t have been made to run into the woods. He should have had a normal home with a normal childhood, and he definitely shouldn’t have been used to early wake-up calls and serious talk first thing in the morning. In this second, Rick vowed that he would do anything to keep Carl’s life as normal as he could, his protective instincts kicking in with full blast.

“What’s going on?” Carl asked again, sitting up, too. Rick hesitated for a moment, not really knowing how to start this conversation.  
“I did something bad… It was a mistake” Rick trailed off and looked down at his hands. “I bit Daryl” he winced at the sound of his own voice saying these words.  
“What? But dad! You always told me never to bite anyone or they can _turn_ ” Carl almost jumped up hearing the confession. Rick shook his head violently.  
“You _musn’t_. And I should have been more careful… _oh god_ ” he whispered, bringing his hands to his face. The images of what could happen started playing in his mind and he pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, wishing the images away. Before he could do some serious damage to his sight - he started to press them in a bit too hard perhaps - he felt one small hand wrap itself around his wrist.

“Is Daryl going to be okay?” Carl asked, tugging Rick’s hand down, making his dad look at him. Rick shivered, biting back a sudden feeling of nausea. He didn’t know. _He didn’t know_. He turned his face to Carl, but wasn’t really ready to look him in the eyes yet. There was something absolutely frightening in seeing a look of disappointment on a child’s face and Rick wasn’t prepared for that yet.  
“I don’t really know…” he sighed, frowning down on the bed. It was covered with a blanket which matched Daryl’s pillow, the colors creating a nice illusion of a lively forest. “I hope so” he added more quietly. A long silence followed and Rick had never felt worse in his entire life than now. He was opening his mouth to… what, _apologize?_ He didn’t even know, he just wanted the silence gone before it got deafening. But then Carl spoke again and Rick’s heart melted a little bit.

“Can we help him?” And Rick let out a long breath he didn’t know he had been holding.  
“I’ll try” he nodded.  
“I want to help, too” Carl stated with that child-like bravado which every kid on the planet somehow possessed. Rick smiled, finally looking up at him. His son was watching him with worry in his big eyes, the concern flowing out of him in waves.  
“You like him, don’t you?”  
“Yeah… he’s a bit like uncle Shane” Carl frowned. “I mean… he helped us, and took care of me, and he’s so cool…” his mouth turned down and those big eyes of his got sad, and Rick grabbed him and tugged him close.  
“Hey, come ‘ere. It’s alright.” Rick shushed him gently.  
“Dad… I miss Shane” Carl half sniffed. “And I miss mom” Rick’s heart broke a little hearing that.  
“I miss them, too, Carl” he whispered, squeezing Carl tighter against his chest.

“Are we going to move out of here, too?” Carl asked, voice muffled by Rick’s t-shirt.  
“Do you want to?”  
“No!” Carl shook his head so hard Rick was actually concerned for a moment.  
“Okay, then we’ll stay. I promise” he stayed like this, holding his son and trying hard not to fall apart himself.  
“Dad?”  
“Yeah?”  
“How did you bite Daryl?”

Rick froze and closed his eyes. He was so not ready for that conversation, and the circumstances were less than good to improvise on this topic. But the question was out and he actually had to answer. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and wished Daryl had been here for that, too.  
“You know Carl, when two adults like each other a lot they do different things together” he started but Carl interrupted him right away.  
“Yeah, like cuddle and kiss” here, Carl pulled away and made the _‘eeew gross’_ face, “and they sleep in the same bed and all. I know, dad” Rick nodded. “Did you try to kiss Daryl when you were the wolf?” Rick blinked in astonishment.  
“Something like that, yeah” he nodded.  
“But dad! That’s stupid!” Carl laughed and cuddled closer to him again.  
“Yeah, I know” Rick sighed, silently thankful for the opportunity to postpone this talk for later. He really didn’t feel up to it now, not with Daryl getting feverish in the other room.

That thought, however, brought him back to why he was here in the first place.  
“Carl, listen… When a person turns into a wolf for the first time, it is usually very difficult. Their body… changes a lot and they may get very sick from it” he tried to explain, leaning away and looking at his son. Carl just sat up straighter and nodded solemnly.  
“I know, you told me once. I still want to help” he said, looking at Rick and trying very hard to look a lot older than he was.  
“Okay. If I need your help I’ll tell you, alright? For now, I just wanted you to know that I may need to stay with Daryl and help him if he gets sick.” Rick thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to occupy Carl’s time. He looked out the window and an idea came to him. “There’s something you’ll have to do, though. The goats will need feeding. Think you can handle that?”  
“Alright, dad” Carl nodded again and Rick smiled.  
“If you need-”  
“ _Dad…_ I know where the fridge is. Daryl showed me on the first day, remember?” Carl smiled brilliantly and Rick barked out a laugh. Yeah, Daryl had shown them where the fridge was. He had also shown them where to find the bathroom and the wood for the fireplace. On that first day, Daryl had really shown them where their home was.

“I’ll be okay, dad, I’m all grown up now” Carl straightened up proudly and Rick huffed with amusement.  
“Yeah you are” he ruffled Carl’s head just to make him look a bit cuter and got up.  
“I will check in on Daryl. You sure you’ll be okay for a bit?” Rick asked out of fatherly concern and, like every other father would, he received an exasperated eyeroll in reply.

 

-&-

 

When Daryl woke up, he was cold. Colder than he ever remembered being. He was covered with a blanket, fluffy enough that it should keep him from freezing, but he was still _so fucking cold_ his teeth chattered and good god, _what the hell was going on?_ He tried to open his eyes but the sun shining right at his face was definitely out to burn him alive, so he groaned and shifted, planning on getting away from it. As soon as he moved, his muscles protested with dull, throbbing pain, and he flopped back down. _Had he been drinking last night?_ And if so, had it been battery acid or some alien booze?

“Don’t move too much” Rick’s voice whispered somewhere to Daryl’s right and he turned his head that way, trying to crack his eyes open just a bit to look at Rick. He managed to do so without scorching his retinas, Rick’s blurry image appearing after a few blinks.  
“R’ck?” _God, even his voice was all wrong_. Raspy and quiet as if he’d been screaming the house down.  
“I’m here” Rick nodded, one hand reaching out and touching Daryl’s arm in what must have been an attempt at a gentle caress. For Daryl it was pins and needles shooting up his shoulder and he let out a small whine, his body trying to move away on instinct.  
“Shit! Sorry, I’m sorry” Rick apologized, immediately jerking back, eyes wide.

“The fuck is goin’ on?” Daryl demanded, but the usual volume of his voice was nowhere to be found and he closed his eyes for a moment.  
“You’re changing” Rick explained and Daryl breathed out. Oh yeah. _The bite._ Werewolf. It all came back to him now. He frowned and looked worriedly at Rick. The man looked like a scared rabbit and Daryl could add two and two even in this state.  
“I‘m dying, ain’t I?” He asked quietly. His initial approach had clearly been a stupid idea - what was happening to his body right now wasn’t just a nasty case of flu. He was feeling like he had been thrown under a train and left in the ditch to freeze to death.

Daryl saw Rick shift a bit, and then he was leaning forward, pressing his forehead tentatively to Daryl’s, staring right into Daryl’s eyes with a gaze so determined that Daryl could feel a tiny bit of warmth start to bloom in his abdomen.  
“I ain’t gonna let you die” Rick stated in a low and even voice that brooked no argument and Daryl wanted to ask _how the hell did he know that_ , but bit his tongue just in time. Rick’s eyes had that shine to them that made Daryl swallow hard and just shut up. He tried to nod, but as soon as he moved his head, another wave of pain shot up his spine, this time making him dizzy with its intensity. He moaned quietly on an exhale, trying to keep it in and not give Rick another reason to worry, but Rick noticed it anyway and pulled away a bit to look at him, eyes watching him worriedly.  
“How bad is it?”  
“Feels fucked up” Daryl almost growled through his teeth. “Everything hurts” he closed his eyes and tried to relax, wishing the pain away.

“We can try some painkillers...” Rick offered but his hesitant tone told Daryl that it probably wouldn’t work anyway.  
“Did they help you?” He asked instead, aware that Rick had been through this before. The had breached the subject of Rick’s transformation a long time ago and now Daryl wished he had asked about more details.  
“Morphine didn’t even start to dull it” Rick answered, one hand finding Daryl’s forearm and wrapping around it delicately, the pressure barely there. Daryl hummed when Rick rubbed his skin with the very tips of his fingers, just enough for it to be a caress and not enough to register in his brain as more pain.  
“Thought so” Daryl snorted, not really caring that it probably sounded weird. His head started to ache and he just needed to close his eyes and stop thinking for a moment. “Gonna sleep” he informed Rick and did just that, the fever clouding his senses enough to let him drift off for a bit.

Rick watched Daryl’s eyes close and his breathing even out. It wasn’t a peaceful sleep, of that he was sure. Daryl’s temperature was high by now, his body giving off heat easily picked up by Rick’s wolf senses and Rick was a little afraid of it causing damage, but he quickly reminded himself that he had been through this, too. Sure, he had been at the hospital, but according to what Shane had told him after, none of the meds they had given him actually worked. Antipyretics for the fever or painkillers strong enough to knock out a horse - it had all been for naught. Rick had just wailed and moaned until he had passed out, his body giving up under the onslaught of sensations.

He looked at Daryl more closely, took in the minute shivers that wracked his form, the way his breathing got shallow and laboured. He knew from experience that this was only the first stage, and all he could really do was wait, but he was still trying to find a way to make it easier for Daryl. He got up and walked to the kitchen, starting the kettle once he got there. He waited for the water to boil and tried not to give in to his own nerves, stilling his shaking hands against the countertop. Once the water was ready he made some tea and took it back to their bedroom, setting the mug within easy reach. Daryl was shivering under the blanket, mumbling something in his sleep and Rick ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out what to do.

Rick knew the change came in two phases - he had lived through it. He knew that the first part were the senses, skin and muscles. Daryl was too delicate to touch now, so Rick kept his distance, sitting down on the bed and keeping his silent vigil. The next part would be the bones and joints and Rick cringed even thinking about it. It was one thing to feel overwhelmed every time anything touched you, but feeling the ache deep in your bones where nothing could ease it was something entirely different. He once again cursed his recklessness and closed his eyes, willing time to move quicker.

 

-&-

 

The next time Daryl woke up it was already getting dark outside, a fact welcomed by his oversensitive eyes. He looked around, trying not to move too much, and spotted Rick half-curled on the bed, eyes closed, one hand outstretched as if reaching for Daryl’s. That brought a small smile to Daryl’s lips and he tried to flex his fingers to close the tiny gap between him and Rick, but his hand still hurt something awful. He stilled after the first try, breathing through a new wave of sensation, hoping he didn’t wake Rick up. It turned out Rick wasn’t really sleeping, as became apparent the second he heard Daryl’s breathing change. He shot up, gaze focusing on his mate.  
“Hey” Rick greeted softly, getting up and moving closer tentatively, trying not to jostle the mattress too much. Daryl groaned, taking stock of his body. He was still in pain but it had shifted somehow, now more pronounced somewhere deep inside rather than along the expanse of his skin.  
“Hurts. Different tho’” he licked his lips and Rick nodded.  
“Wait, I’ve got some tea” he grabbed the mug and helped Daryl take a few sips. It was the fifth tea he had brewed in the past few hours, intent on having something warm to give Daryl in case he woke up. He might have needed something to do, too, and talking to Carl while boiling water in the kitchen seemed to calm his nerves a bit.

Daryl settled back down, the shivering starting again when the air around him moved, irritating his skin. He was so oversensitive… But he had to admit it didn’t hurt that much any longer. The pain really had changed. It wasn’t much better like this, but he could at least lie down and forget about how his own weight pressed him down into the mattress. He moved a bit, trying to pull the blanket more tightly around himself and Rick stopped him.  
“Wait… I can-” Rick started, but stopped himself and shook his head to clear it a bit. He put the mug down and climbed on the bed, slipping under the blanket and laying as close to Daryl as he dared to. “Should be warmer like this” he explained and Daryl just huffed, the noise sounding as incredulous as he felt. He was probably dying and the only thing he wanted was to have Rick beside him. Rick on the other hand suddenly seemed to be scared to so much as get into bed with him. "Ain't gonna break" Daryl croaked. Testing the waters carefully, Daryl inched closer to Rick, pressing into his body delicately, just enough to keep them connected and share the heat. He ended up lying on his side with his face pushed into Rick’s neck, one hand gripping Rick’s tightly.

Rick swallowed, feeling Daryl’s fever getting stronger once more. He was scared. He was scared Daryl may die like this, moaning in pain with no escape from it, struggling through every exhale as his body spasmed and shook. Rick didn’t know what to do to make it better. He would do anything to make it go away… hell, he would live through it again himself if it could save Daryl from the hell he was in right now. But life was a bitch and Rick couldn’t do more than he had already been doing, even if it made him feel helpless and more guilty with every passing moment. It was all his fault and he couldn’t even find a decent solution, not to mention actually making it better. He hated being this helpless in face of someone he loved being in such pain. He wondered if he had ever told Daryl that? Not the pain bit, but that he loved him dearly? He closed his eyes, trying not to think too hard about how he could be too late now.

 

-&-

 

Daryl couldn't breathe, or focus. Every inhale made him dizzy, every exhale threatened to bring a nasty cough to the surface. He was either shivering with cold or flushing with heat. The sensations were so different that his body didn't really know what to do with them. He tried to move, change the position he was lying in but his bones protested with a dull throb. He heard a whine and it took him a long moment to realize it was him making the noise. Rick shifted next to him, one gentle hand appearing on Daryl's shoulder.  
“‘t was a stupid thing to do” Daryl choked out, curling in on himself when another spasm wracked his body.  
“You're doing fine” Rick whispered soothingly, fingers caressing Daryl's skin. The room was too hot once again, it started spinning, too, and Daryl bit back a wave of nausea, intent on not vomiting Rick's tea all over the both of them. “Let me help you” Rick's voice was as gentle as his hands and he helped Daryl turn around, the struggle with the blanket proving too much for the hunter’s weakened limbs. Daryl settled on his other side, Rick quickly spooning up behind him. He hesitated, not sure if wrapping his arm around Daryl’s waist would be a good idea, so he settled for placing it on his hip instead. Daryl hummed and grabbed Rick’s wrist, tugging the arm higher and pressing Rick’s palm to his heart.  
“‘s okay. It feels different” he gruffed out, eyes closing again. Rick sighed and tried to relax.  
“How much longer?” Daryl asked, voice strained as another spasm lit up his nerve endings. A whine got stuck inside his throat, making him sound like a hurt animal, but he was powerless to stop it.  
“Not long now” Rick tried to be reassuring, even if deep down all he had was hope and no certainty. It would have to do for now.

Thankfully, it turned out Rick was right. It took a little more than three hours for the pain to start fading away, and when it did, the both of them could finally breathe a bit easier. Daryl finally stopped whining miserably and his body stopped shaking, and Rick closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a dreamless sleep. It looked like they were in the clear now.

He woke up sometime later, the room around them dark and quiet. At first Rick didn’t know what had woken him, but soon that question was answered when Daryl groaned next to him. Sitting up and trying to stomp down the jolt of panic that shook his frame, Rick reached out to the bedside table and turned on the lamp.

Daryl was still lying next to him with his eyes closed, but his body was restless. He started to toss and turn, strange mewling noises escaping him every now and then. Rick didn’t really know what to do, afraid something had gone wrong with the transformation, until Daryl gave a shout and curled up. His eyes snapped open, vibrant blue laced with silver, almost shining in the low light, and Rick watched, fascinated, as his mate started to change in front of him. Daryl’s body grew, the bones shifting and snapping under his skin, thick, brown fur appearing all over his frame. A low growl made it past his snout and Rick swallowed hard when those beautiful eyes focused on him.

Daryl was huge. The wolf, brownish-black in color, was lying on the bed and seemingly staring into Rick’s very soul. Rick hadn’t really known what to expect after Daryl’s first shift, but seeing him like this, the recognition evident in Daryl’s eyes staring at him from the wolf’s head, it eased his nerves considerably. And oh, Daryl was so beautiful like this...  
“Hey” Rick started, throat dry. The sight before him rendered him speechless and made him want to change, too, and howl to the whole world that his mate was not only alive, but magnificent as a wolf, too. He shook his head to clear it a bit, and reached out one hand to touch Daryl’s head. The wolf looked at Rick’s fingers and then turned his head to the side, taking in his own form. There was a brief moment of utter stillness when Daryl took in his surroundings, and Rick could almost smell the panic rising in him.

Sure enough, as soon as Daryl saw how his body looked, he gave a yelp and scrambled back, falling from the bed and landing on the hard floor.  
“Shit. Daryl?” Rick followed, getting out of bed and sliding to the floor next to him. Daryl jerked away, stumbling into the wall and pressing against it. Rick cursed and crawled closer tentatively, trying not to make any sudden moves. “Hey Daryl, it’s okay. You’re a wolf now, remember?” He soothed, not really knowing how to approach something that big and dangerous, yet so scared. He had a whole new appreciation for Daryl’s fearlessness when they had first met. “It’s okay… look at me. It’s fine, you’re okay” he reached out with one hand and Daryl eyed it carefully. Then his gaze focused on Rick once again and he gave a small rumble. Slowly, so slowly, the wolf moved, coming closer, eyes never leaving Rick’s. He got close enough to nuzzle the outstretched hand and Rick smiled.

“That’s it” he praised gently, voice as soothing as he could make it. “You think you can try to change back?” He asked, hoping it wouldn’t take Daryl too much effort to shift into his human form. Daryl looked at him, eyes hopeful, and gave a small, high-pitched bark. “Come on, you can do it. Think about how you felt when you were in your human body… Think about our last dinner together… or when we were watching Carl hunting that hare outside the house. Remember that?” Rick tried, not really knowing how to explain how to shift back. It always came very natural to him after that first time, and Shane had never shared with him how he had brought him back.

Daryl was still for a moment, and Rick was already racking his brain for an easier explanation, when he heard a whine. Startled, he moved closer to Daryl, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug, feeling as the wolf shivered. And then the bones started to crack and realign and the next thing he knew, he was holding Daryl’s very human body in his arms, naked and trembling.  
“ _Thank fuck_ ” Rick breathed, heaving a huge sigh. “You okay?” Rick asked, not letting go even for a moment. He felt Daryl nod, his shaggy hair tickling Rick’s forearm.

And then, the most amazing thing happened. Daryl _laughed_. It was breathy and gruff, but it was there, and Rick’s heart made a happy little flop somewhere inside his chest.  
“Fuck!” Daryl wheezed, trying to catch his breath. “That was wild…”  
“Yeah” Rick felt his throat tighten. “We’re never doing that again” he felt another nod from Daryl, a lot more enthusiastic now. He wasn’t sure they could get through anything like this ever again. Rick didn’t want to see Daryl in pain like this as long as he lived, especially if he wasn’t able to do anything about it. He had always been a man of action, and just sitting there and waiting for everything to pass, not knowing if Daryl wouldn’t end up dead or not… The helplessness was just too much to bear.

Rick sighed and looked down, releasing his hold a bit. Daryl was half asleep in his arms, exhaustion pulling him under quickly.  
“Alright, back to bed, huh?” He asked, already getting on his feet and pulling Daryl with him. His mate went willingly, trusting Rick to keep him up as they stumbled forward until their knees hit the mattress. Rick lowered Daryl on it, covering him with the blanket and watching how his eyes closed. Daryl drifted off almost as soon as his head had hit the pillow, and Rick wasn’t really surprised to see that. He was tired himself, the past twenty four hours enough to knock him off his feet for a long time. But he had to check in on Carl first. He cursed silently and got up, walking out of the room as quietly as he could.

 

-&-

 

Daryl jolted awake with a groan, waking Rick up, too. He stretched lazily, noting that there was still some pain in his muscles, but this time it felt like he had been working out for too long - it was a good ache. He smiled to himself and turned around, facing a very startled and, as evident by his bleary eyes, a very sleepy Rick.  
“Are you okay?” Rick asked, trying to blink the sleepiness away. Daryl’s groan had startled him awake, his brain still running through the events of the previous night at high speed. He had dreamed about what had happened, so hearing Daryl actually groan again right next to him almost made him jump out of his skin.  
“Mhm” Daryl nodded, curling up against him, pushing his face into Rick’s neck. “Thank you” Daryl murmured into the delicate skin just under Rick’s beard.  
“What for?”  
“Being ‘ere” came the soft reply and Rick frowned in confusion. Where else would he have been if not right here with his mate?  
“I promised, didn’t I?” He asked, wrapping his arm around Daryl’s waist and tugging him closer, pressing them together. Daryl felt so deliciously warm, his body soft and pliant after a night of restful sleep, and all Rick wanted was to stay here forever. He took a deep breath and sighed, the wolfish side of him almost purring at the scent of his mate, strong and healthy, wrapping itself around his senses like a blanket of its own.

“Ya know, my brother promised a lot of shit. Never kept those promises, though” Daryl explained and Rick nodded in understanding. He knew Daryl didn’t really do relationships and people, and he knew the reason was his family and how they had treated him. But to hear that his brother had been the one to hurt him, the one to break promises… It hurt Rick somewhere deep inside. He had never had a brother, except for Shane, and Shane had always been there for him. Up until Rick had to go into hiding with Carl, but even then it had been Rick’s choice to protect his son by running away into the forest and not Shane’s decision whether to help them or not. Shane had wanted to help them, and Rick would have taken him up on that, had it not been for the townsmen threatening all of their safety. So, they had run.

And now they were here, safe within the walls of Daryl’s house, being accepted for what they were. And it was all thanks to this one man, the one Rick was currently holding in his arms, the one he was free to call his mate. Suddenly, the thoughts from the previous day came back to Rick, flooding him with emotions and tightening his throat.  
“I love you” he whispered against Daryl’s shoulder, lips tickling his skin like a caress. He could feel when Daryl tensed, before his head came up, eyes focusing on Rick, laser-sharp when they stared right into his own.  
“‘s good. Would hate for it to just be me.”

It took Rick a ridiculously long time to process this, but when he did, he couldn’t help the smile that surfaced. Daryl grinned a bit, too, leaning in and capturing his mouth in a sweet, lingering kiss. Rick hummed into it, feeling lightheaded. Daryl was his. Daryl was his _mate_ and he _loved him back_ and to Rick it was one of the happiest moments in his life.

Daryl whined softly into Rick’s mouth. All of his senses, heightened by the transformation, made him only too aware of Rick’s presence next to him. He could feel every inch of Rick’s skin touching his own, little points of contact making him tingle all over. Rick’s breathing getting more ragged with every second, little puffs of air escaping through his nose and hitting Daryl’s face like a warm breeze, the _smell_ of Rick heavy in his own nose, the scent strong enough to make his mouth water. Daryl wanted to keep going, wanted to see just how quickly he could make Rick’s heart beat, the thumping loud and clear in his ears now, but a low rumble interrupted them. They broke apart and Rick barked out a laugh, one hand shooting to his stomach.  
“Sorry, didn’t eat at all yesterday” he huffed and Daryl scoffed.  
“Yer too skinny as it is” he gave Rick a disapproving scowl, but it lacked any real sting. To be honest, Daryl felt a swarm of butterflies in his gut thinking how Rick hadn’t left him even to get something to eat. In this moment, Daryl’s stomach rumbled, too, and he grinned at the perfect timing.  
“Alright, breakfast” Rick announced, getting out of bed and heading to the kitchen. Daryl followed as soon as he had found himself a pair of pants to wear.

 

-&-

 

“Wake up, sleepy head” Rick squeezed Carl’s shoulder softly, smiling when his son woke up groggily. He tried to blink himself awake and yawned, mouth opening wide, reminding Rick that he also had the wolf blood coursing through him. This thought made him feel warm all over. _They were a real pack now_. “Come on, breakfast is ready and I have a surprise for you” Rick nudged his son gently, getting a nod from him. Carl hummed and slowly crawled out of bed, making Rick roll his eyes at him. He was still sleepy, dragging his feet just crossing the room. Rick smirked, leading him out of the room and through the corridor.

As soon as Carl stepped into the kitchen, he froze. Daryl was sitting at the table, now properly dressed, smiling in that rugged way of his. Carl just stood there for a moment, before he gave a happy little shout and ran to Daryl, lunging at him and trusting the hunter to catch him. Daryl did so effortlessly, wrapping both arms around Carl and hugging him tightly, pulling him into his lap. Carl pulled away slightly after a moment, looking up at Daryl with his big eyes.  
“Are you okay now?”  
“Yeah” Daryl nodded. Rick was content to just stand there and watch them till the end of the earth, the wolf in him rumbling at seeing his family together like this, but his body was still exhausted and he had to sit down at the table. He took his usual place, sitting on Daryl’s left side and turned to watch them with a content smile on his face.

“I heard you” Carl mumbled, looking down at his hands, and Rick suddenly felt sorry that his son had to have been witness to it all.  
“Sorry fer that” Daryl gruffed out, ducking his head a bit.  
“It’s okay. I was just worried… but you are okay now, right?”  
“Yeah, I am” Daryl nodded again, feeling sheepish having Carl’s attention all on himself. He looked up at Rick and almost rolled his eyes when he saw the goofy smile his lover… no, his _mate_ had on his face.  
“I helped Dad” Carl announced looking up at Daryl again, a little proud smile shining on his face.  
“Oh yeah?”  
“Yes. I fed the goats and I helped dad make tea for you” he grinned.  
“Mhm” Daryl mock-frowned and looked at Rick. “That true?”

Rick laughed, shrugging and spreading his hands wide.  
“Well, he’s all grown up now,” he looked at Carl. “Right?”  
“Right!” Carl squeaked excitedly and squirmed off of Daryl’s legs, sitting on his chair.  
“Alright, mister all-grown-up, you get to eat some tomatoes now” Rick laughed, grabbing one from the bowl that was standing on the table and slicing it. Carl grimaced and opened his mouth to protest, but Daryl shushed him before he could utter a word.  
“Nah, none of that. Grown-ups eat tomatoes and don't complain” he grinned at Rick when Carl huffed in exasperation and let his head fall down on the table. Rick just laughed, placing the slices on his plate.

 

-&-

 

It was shortly after dinner that Rick went to check on the goats. Carl went with him, proudly announcing that it was his job now and that he could take care of them. Rick nodded along, walking into the shed anyway, keen on seeing with his own eyes that everything was in order. Upon seeing a bunch of happy balls of wool he smiled and congratulated his son on a job well done. Knowing now, that Carl was able to care for their stock, Rick left him in the shed to feed the animals, and returned back to the house.

Daryl was sitting on the couch, looking up at him as soon as Rick stepped over the threshold.  
“Alright, how do I do that?” Daryl drawled.  
“Do what?”  
“Change into t’ wolf” Daryl clarified, seeing the look of confusion on Rick’s face. Thankfully, it went away quickly.  
“Ah… You have to get your mind back to when you first changed. Last night? Try to remember that feeling… live it again, I guess” Rick scratched his head, trying to come up with a simple way of saying exactly what he did. “Shit. It’s harder than I thought” he laughed, just a short bark of a sound.  
“What is?” Daryl asked, eyeing him. There was something in his gaze that made Rick feel warm all of a sudden.  
“Explaining” Rick huffed. “I’ve never had to do that. Lori was never interested and Carl just… started shifting on his own” Rick shrugged.

“Show me, then” Daryl’s gaze was fixed on Rick’s face, eyes staring into his and Rick swallowed dryly.  
“Carl is gonna be back soon, you know?” He asked, feeling a shiver crawling up his spine. The way Daryl was eyeing him up and down told him just how much he was wanted by his mate. Rick didn’t really know when the air around them shifted, but Daryl’s eyes seemed to be filled with flames and he couldn’t help thinking about what they would be doing later.  
“I ain’t asking ya for a fuck, ‘m asking for ya to change” Daryl smirked and watched as Rick shook his head.  
“Screw it” Rick mumbled and started to take off his clothes, his wolfish hearing good enough to know that Carl was still in the shed. Daryl frowned, looking down at himself, before he started on his own clothes, too.

They disrobed quickly, standing in the middle of the living room once they were finished.  
“Alright, now think _wolf_ ” Rick smiled and looked at Daryl expectantly. Daryl frowned, and Rick could see how much he tried to concentrate.  
“Harder ‘n I thought” Daryl growled after a minute and Rick chuckled.  
“Maybe don’t try so hard?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“What are ya thinkin’ ‘bout when yer changing?” Daryl asked, and Rick frowned.  
“Nothing really. At first I thought about how it felt when my bones shift… The feeling of it, you know? But now-” Rick broke off, watching, mesmerized, as Daryl’s whole body shuddered. He gave a whine and his bones started to realign themselves. In a blink of an eye, a gigantic wolf appeared where Daryl had just been standing, and Rick opened his mouth in awe.

“ _Wow_ ” he whispered, mouth dry. Daryl really looked spectacular like this. Standing, his bulk easily reached Rick’s waist, the dark brown fur interlaced with little bits of gold covering his whole frame, getting a bit lighter in a few places on Daryl’s back, marking where his scars were. Daryl’s eyes were still blue in this form, but they had a silver shade to them, glinting in the soft light inside the house. Daryl rumbled and stepped closer, his gigantic paws bringing him in front of Rick and he nudged him with his head. “Jesus, you’re beautiful like this, you know?” Rick whispered, threading one hand through Daryl’s fur and scratching with his fingers just behind the ear. Daryl rumbled again and butted him on the hip and Rick laughed shortly, catching himself before he fell down. “Alright, give me a moment.” And then he was changing, too, landing next to his mate, turning his head to push it under Daryl’s chin. Daryl gave a small bark, and pulled away, ears moving as he listened intently to something outside the house. He looked back at Rick, eyes bright with excitement, just as the door opened and Carl stepped in.

Carl stood there transfixed for a long moment, eyes taking in the two wolves staring at him from the middle of the room.  
“Dad?” He asked softly, looking at Rick’s familiar form, then turning his gaze to the other wolf. “Is that… Daryl?”  
Daryl quickly understood the disadvantage of being a wolf - he had no use of language now. Deciding to stay in his wolf form, he walked closer to Carl, placing his paws on the floor carefully. He got right in front of the kid and sat down, trying to make himself smaller. Carl’s eyes shone when he tentatively reached out with one hand, placing it on Daryl’s head and feeling the softness of the fur. He smiled that child-on-boxing-day smile and Daryl leapt up, licking at his hand and then face, excited to see Carl happy with the change.  
“Alright, Daryl” Carl giggled, trying to push him away. “Stop! Dad, tell him something” he laughed on, giddy with excitement, and Daryl just licked him all over. Once he was done, he pulled away, looking at Rick. His mate just sat there, a very canine-like grin plastered on his wolf features.

“Hey Dad?” Carl asked, rubbing his face and trying to get rid of the saliva, but it didn’t seem like he minded much. “Can we go for a walk?” Rick looked at him, then at Daryl. He shrugged and trotted to the door, Daryl following. Carl took off his clothes and shifted, joining them a few moments later.

 

-&-

 

They spent the day running in the forest and chasing animals. It had taken Daryl about an hour to learn how to track with his new senses, fine hunter that he was. By the time they stumbled back into the house they were all tired and panting, but happy to be reconnected with nature and with themselves once again. Rick and Daryl shared a meaningful look over Carl’s head and they all went to look for some clothes. Having shifted back, they sat down for a late supper, Carl talking excitedly all the time about how he had almost caught a small hare.

“You’ll get him next time, I’m sure” Rick patted him on the shoulder and went to finish his scrambled eggs. He chanced a look at Daryl and almost choked on his mouthful. Daryl’s eyes were boring holes in him, the fire in them enough to send liquid heat down Rick’s spine. He knew that look. It was the wolf inside… and the wolf wanted to claim his mate.

Trying not to look like he was inhaling his food, Rick finished it quickly and got up, mumbling a lame excuse about needing a shower. He went to the bathroom, reminding Carl about brushing his teeth before he turned in. He could still feel Daryl’s eyes on him even as he got into the shower and turned the water on. It sloshed on his shoulders, flowing down his back and tickling his thighs. He sighed, thinking about Daryl’s hands traveling over his skin instead. Rick could hear him even through the streaming water and the walls. Daryl was talking to Carl about something. The words were indistinguishable, but the tone of his voice carried through, making Rick groan.

He brought his own palms to his chest, feeling like he was scratching an itch that he couldn’t really reach like this. He wanted Daryl’s hands on him, he wanted Daryl’s lips and teeth, he wanted Daryl _inside_ him. With a startling clarity Rick suddenly realized that Daryl had yet to fuck _him_. They had done a lot different things in Daryl’s bed, _their_ bed, but it usually ended with handjobs or sucking each other off. A few times Daryl had made Rick dizzy with his skilled fingers up Rick’s ass, but he had never actually _been inside him_. Rick almost whined thinking about it, bringing his soapy palm to his mouth and muffling the sound before it could get out. He finished his shower quickly, paying special attention to the parts he really wanted Daryl to get up and personal with tonight and got out, wrapping a towel around his hips.

Daryl was waiting for him in the bedroom, his body stretched on the bed, a blanket thrown over his hips carelessly. He was totally naked under it and still managed to look like the king of the forest. Rick didn’t really know how he did it, but chose not to question it, instead opting for drinking in the sight of his mate.  
“Carl’s asleep, out like a light” Daryl drawled, looking Rick up and down. “All that runnin’ musta tired him out” he smiled, seeing Rick only standing there and staring. “Alright. I’ll go and take a shower” Daryl smirked, making as if he was going to get out of bed.

“No” Rick’s voice was a low growl and Daryl stopped. “Stay there” Rick licked his lips and came closer. “ _Stay right there_ ” he got on the bed and crawled over Daryl, looking down at him hungrily. It reminded Rick of their first night together, Daryl laid out underneath him like his private little feast. But Daryl's arms didn't wrap around him this time - now they traveled to Rick’s hips, fingertips rubbing along the line of the towel. Rick shivered when they slipped beneath and tugged it open.

“Been waitin’ fer that” Daryl gruffed out, splaying his palms on Rick's ass, nails scratching slightly. “Ya never told me it feels like this” he murmured, watching as Rick's eyes closed.  
“Wasn't sure you'd feel like this” Rick replied, trying hard not to just collapse on him and hump him into oblivion. Daryl's scent was all around him, making his head fuzzy and bringing out the wolf inside him. Daryl hadn't showered earlier, and even if they didn't sweat when in their wolf forms, it served to make Daryl's scent that much stronger. Rick had a brief moment of regret when he realized he had made himself all soapy-smelling but he was sure Daryl could remedy that in a heartbeat.

“Damn it Rick, when I saw ya in t’ forest earlier, chasin’ that deer…” Daryl growled a little, the rumbling sound reminding Rick that his mate was a wolf now, too. And then Daryl leaned up and licked a broad stripe from Rick's collarbone to his ear. “Wanted to _fuck_ _ya_ right there” he whispered and Rick's arms finally gave out. He landed in Daryl's lap, straddling him, all the right places pressing into Daryl's body. He gave a moan, eagerly echoed by one of Daryl's, and his hips started a small grinding movement on instinct, delighting in the way Daryl's hand squeezed his ass urging him on. Daryl’s lips sought out his, teeth and tongue joining in as soon as they found their target, and Rick could feel himself melt on top of him.

“Jesus” Daryl whispered in awe when he pulled away. “Knew ‘t was good before, but _now_ ” he emphasized the last word with a shift of his hips, and Rick whined, trying to keep the wolf at bay. He knew just how different everything was once a person turned and he wasn’t really surprised that Daryl was amazed discovering this. Every inch of his skin tingled where it was pressed against Daryl, every muscle clenching where Daryl’s palms rubbed. Rick was hard already and getting harder still, and the sensations just wouldn’t stop. Something in Daryl’s scent - wolf pheromones or whatever that shit was - drove him mad with need. He groaned and caught one of Daryl’s wandering hands, bringing it behind him and placing it on his ass. The fingertips immediately rubbed at his hole, the hunter looking up at him with a smoldering gaze.

“Yeah?” He asked, the syllable coming as a breathy huff of air, and Rick closed his eyes, nodding enthusiastically. “Come ‘ere” Daryl wrapped one arm around his waist, keeping him close, and rolled them both around. Rick landed on the bed with a quiet _omph_ , huffing out an irritated groan when the movement disconnected him from his mate. Daryl pulled away and stared at him, seated between Rick’s legs, hands caressing Rick’s thighs. He took in Rick’s heaving chest and the straining cock resting on his abdomen and growled, leaning forward and snatching a bottle of lube from the bedside table. Daryl stayed where he was, hovering over Rick’s frame, spilling the contents of the bottle over Rick’s length and slicking his fingers up messily.

“Oh god” the first touch of Daryl’s lubed up fingers made Rick throw his head back on the pillow, narrowly missing the headboard. Daryl dove down and captured his mouth in a filthy kiss, one finger slipping inside effortlessly. Rick was hot and tight, and so soft inside that Daryl’s head swam with possibilities. Or maybe it was the wolves coming out to play that made him all breathless? He didn’t know, nor care, as he went on stretching his mate, swallowing all the sounds that escaped him.

It didn’t take long to have the both of them panting and when they broke apart to gulp in some much needed air, Daryl stilled his hand for a moment. Rick was looking at him, eyes a vibrant shade of blue - the same one he had when he turned into wolf - positively glowing at him in the dim light inside the room. Daryl chose this precise moment to add the second finger in, delighting in the way Rick’s beautiful eyes closed with a quiet hiss. It took some searching, but Daryl found the spot he was looking for and rubbed it mercilessly. The whine that bubbled up in Rick’s chest a second later made Daryl’s whole body tremble and he had to fight hard not to let the wolf take control. Shifting was so tempting right in this moment. He could do it, too, he knew Rick could handle him like that. But it seemed a shame to hump his way through a night like this, and Daryl knew he wouldn’t risk fucking Rick as a wolf. So he gritted his teeth and went on, quickly adding the third finger, Rick’s quiet moans setting him on fire.

“Enough” Rick groaned finally, catching Daryl’s wrist and tugging it away. He was done waiting, he wanted Daryl inside and he wanted him _now_. Rick wriggled his hips, opening his legs wider and stretching his arms up over his head. The position he placed himself in was as submissive as it was provocative and Rick was fully aware of what he was doing. Sure enough, as soon as Daryl’s brain caught up with what he was seeing, all reservations flew out the window. He growled, grabbing Rick’s arms and tugged, twisting Rick around and flipping him over onto his knees. Rick had a second to brace himself, before Daryl climbed over him, his weight pushing Rick down and pressing him into the mattress.  
“Ah, fuck” Rick breathed out, feeling the length of Daryl’s body cover him completely, his hard-on pressing hot and heavy into his buttock. And then Daryl fumbled behind him and shoved his cock inside, muffling his howl into Rick’s shoulder.

Everything went still for a moment, Rick half-frozen in place with his mouth open, Daryl panting above him, every exhale ruffling the hair on Rick’s nape. The length inside him throbbed in time with Daryl’s heartbeat, something Rick could easily hear like this. He was quickly getting drunk on the feeling, on being stretched and filled like this, on being held securely in Daryl’s arms. They held still until Rick shifted his hips a bit, trying to see whether the initial sting started to wear off, and Daryl picked up on the minute movement instantly. One of his hands wandered down, fingers closing over Rick’s slick cock and giving it a firm squeeze. Rick’s hips bucked into it, the length inside him moving and Daryl started to rock his hips into the motion, fucking into him and pulling out, slow, careful movements that relaxed Rick as much as they aroused him. He gave a moan, wriggling around, dipping his back a bit so that he could find a better angle and… _there it was_.

Rick had to bite his lip to stop himself from shouting out. His body spasmed as if he had been electrocuted and Daryl hesitated for the tiniest moment, before he picked up the rhythm again, aiming for that one spot.  
“ _Ah_ , _Daryl…_ There. Right _there…_ ” Rick babbled, barely controlling the volume of his voice. He sounded raspy and was so out of breath he was a little worried about suffocating. Daryl growled behind him and fucked in at a faster pace, and Rick’s hands scrambled on the pillows, looking for purchase. He fisted the bedding, his instinct telling him to tear it down, to get his claws out and _push them through_ , to do _something_ before he went too mad with pleasure. Daryl was filling him in just the right way, pressing against his prostate on every shove in, holding him down on the bed like the wolf mate he was, and Rick felt it couldn’t get better than that. But then, Daryl bared his teeth and _bit_ him on the shoulder and Rick gave an honest to god _mewl_ , pushing his head into the pillow to muffle it. He knew they were supposed to be quieter than this, but he couldn’t really remember why, brain frying with the sensations flooding his body.

“Gonna come” Daryl panted above him, sounding as breathless as Rick felt, and he nodded, face still smashed into the pillow. Daryl’s hips snapped against Rick’s ass in an erratic rhythm and Rick could feel how Daryl’s cock caught at the rim of his ass, the fullness of it getting too much in a delicious way. Daryl had a knot, too. Rick had forgotten about it and now…  
“Oh… fuck fuck _fuck…_ ” he chanted, trying to reposition his hips so that Daryl could get in deeper, managing to get the angle right just before Daryl howled above him. It was loud, _too loud_ , but Rick didn’t have enough brain power to be concerned about it. The pressure inside him grew and he was coming, shooting over the sheet underneath, muscles locking him in place until his body was done flying. His brain fucked over to god knew where and he just stayed like that, mouth open in a silent scream, all senses aware of Daryl twitching over him.

They collapsed in a heap a few moments later, an uncoordinated tangle of limbs landing on the wet spot. But Rick didn’t mind, he couldn’t really bring himself to care. Daryl was still inside him, stuck to Rick with his knot still deep in Rick’s ass, and Rick just hummed contentedly, perfectly happy to stay like this forever. It took them a few minutes to calm down, a few minutes filled with Daryl repositioning them to be more comfortable, kissing and licking every part of Rick that happened to be in close proximity to his mouth. Rick sighed with each caress and stretched lazily, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, Daryl tensed behind him and Rick lifted his head up, listening intently. There were footsteps in the corridor right outside their room and he could feel Daryl start to panic, heartbeat kicking up and his scent getting sour. He tried to untangle his hand from where it was stuck in the blanket when there was a knock on the door. Daryl startled so badly hearing it that he tried to jerk away from Rick, making him hiss, the knot tugging painfully at Rick’s sensitive rim when he tried to move away. Rick threw his hand back as soon as he finally tore it free from the blanket, growling at Daryl to stop him from moving.  
“Fuck, _stop_ ” he ground through gritted teeth when the knock sounded again.

“Dad?” Carl’s voice sounded small and sleepy on the other side of the door and Rick cleared his throat before answering.  
“We’re fine, Carl. Daryl had a nightmare…” Rick threw Daryl a look over his shoulder, prompting him to stay quiet. “You can go back to sleep” he prayed that it would be enough to send Carl back to bed. With baited breath, they waited for the answer. The “okay” they got in return was quiet and almost drowned out by the sound of retreating feet. Rick sighed, relaxing back into the pillows.

“That was fucking close” he mumbled, feeling Daryl wrap his arm around his waist. Rick twisted around to look at him. “You okay?”  
“Yeah” Daryl nodded, looking down. “Sorry fer that” he shifted his hand and rubbed it up Rick’s hip, fingers splaying over his skin in a gentle touch.  
“It’s okay” Rick brought one arm back, threading his fingers through Daryl’s hair. Daryl hummed in return, his hand traveling to Rick’s waist once more, pressing them close together.  
“Hurt ya?” He whispered, kissing Rick’s neck, pressing his face there and inhaling his mate’s scent.  
“Nah” Rick’s fingers left Daryl’s hair and found his hand on Rick’s belly, tugging it higher over his chest. “I’ll be fine, it’s okay” Rick emphasized it by clenching up around Daryl’s length. The mewl he got in return and the small grind of Daryl’s hips brought a smile to his face.

They fell asleep like that, Daryl still inside Rick, slipping out only once the knot went down and Rick shifted, turning around. Daryl woke up when he felt Rick move, eyes still closed as he faced Daryl and tucked himself close to him. With a sigh, Rick settled down again and Daryl did the same, gathering him into his arms and drifting off.

 

-&-

 

The morning greeted them with rain and wind, and Rick would have been content to lie in bed for a little longer if it hadn’t been for his bladder urging him to get out of bed. He moved cautiously, feeling sore all over, but it was the good kind of sore. He smiled, trying not to groan when his muscles protested with a dull throb at his every move, and silently got out, heading for the bathroom.

Daryl woke sometime later, hand brushing through empty sheets startling him from his sleep. He sat up, and looked around trying to find Rick. Upon seeing only his empty bedroom he crawled out and headed to the door, grabbing a pair of sweats on his way. The smell of pancakes hit him as soon as he opened the door and his mouth watered at the sweet scent. He crossed the corridor in silent steps, rounding the corner to find Rick bending over a sizzling pan, eyes focused on the pancake he was preparing. A nice stack of them was already waiting on the table, syrup close at hand and Daryl sighed, feeling a strange warmth filling him. He had never had this - a home, a real family. His parents used to argue all the time and after his mother had died, his father had turned violent. Instead of pancakes for breakfast, there had been lashes and fists. On a good day, Daryl had been able to sneak out of the house and disappear in the forest for long hours.

Now he didn’t even think of sneaking out. He went straight to Rick, startling him when Daryl plastered himself to his back.  
“Smells nice” he murmured, lips pressing to the nape of Rick’s neck, arms circling around Rick’s waist.  
“Good morning to you, too” Rick laughed softly, flipping the pancake and turning off the stove. He grinned, turning around in Daryl’s hold and placing a sweet little kiss on Daryl’s lips. “Hello honey” he whispered when they broke apart and Daryl’s eyes narrowed.  
“Ain’t no honey” he gruffed, but Rick just held on to him, one hand tangling in Daryl’s hair.  
“Yeah you are” Rick’s eyes were as soft as his voice, and Daryl decided that he could live with the endearment if it meant that he got Rick looking all pliant and lovely like this.

“Carl up yet?” Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow at Rick, and Rick chuckled in response.  
“I figured we could let him sleep some more. You know, with the way we woke him up yesterday-hey!” Daryl wasn’t listening. The way Rick said ‘ _we could let him sleep_ ’ stuck on repeat in his mind as the wolfish part of him puffed with pride. He hoisted Rick into his arms and sat him down on the counter nearby, ignoring Rick’s giggled-out protests about having sex in the kitchen.

“Fuck” Rick cursed, eyes going wide when Daryl pushed down his sweatpants and proceeded to suck him down into his throat. “Shit…. _Da-aryl!_ We gotta make it quick” Rick panted, hand shooting to Daryl’s head, fingers clawing at his scalp. _Oh yeah_ , Daryl thought, _he’d make it quick... and dirty_.

 

-&-

 

They spent the day playing around and doing household chores, putting Carl to bed once the hour was right. Rick and Daryl shared a look over his sleeping form and quietly left the room.  
“A walk?” Rick asked, clearing his throat and Daryl grinned at him.  
“Why? Ya gettin’ all romantic on me, Rick?” Daryl snarked, but pulled him closer anyway, hooking his finger in the loop of Rick’s trousers and kissing him soundly. “I’d love to” he whispered, once they parted and it was Rick’s turn to grin. They disrobed quickly, shifting into their wolf forms, shaking out fur with satisfied huffs. They went into the forest, intending to stay close to the house in case Carl woke up. A few yards away from the river, Daryl stopped, nose wrinkling as he scented the air. Rick followed suit, opening his muzzle to let the air in more fully. The stench he discovered made him flinch back and he half-shifted into his human form, his features a grotesque mix between human and wolf.  
“The hell is that smell?” He asked, and watched as Daryl shifted just enough to answer him.  
“Rot. Dunno where it’s coming from, tho” Daryl growled out, looking around curiously.  
“Should we check it out?” Rick threw Daryl a look and his mate nodded. By silent understanding they both changed back into wolves and went after the smell, paws light and steps careful. After crossing the stream, they went a little ways down the hill, following the current.

There was a rustle in the bushes right in front of them, and Daryl tugged Rick behind a tree. They hunched down and waited, almost jumping in the air when the cause for the rustling stumbled out and into clear view. It was a man…. Well, what was left of a man. The skin was barely hanging on its frame and the raw meat of his legs could be seen clearly even in the near-darkness around them. Rick looked at Daryl and his mate shook his head silently from side to side. They watched the creature follow the stream, thankfully getting further away from them and their territory. Rick and Daryl turned around and went back home.

“What the hell was that?” Rick wheezed when he shifted back to his human self. Daryl was quick to follow through, closing the door behind them.  
“God, I dunno” he looked stricken, eyes wider than Rick had ever seen them. “It smelled dead.”  
“I know” Rick nodded, sitting down on the couch and looking up at Daryl. Then an idea came to him and he turned the TV on, mouth opening when he saw the headlines. Daryl sat next to him, gaze focused on what he was seeing.

_Dead people attacking the living. Is it the apocalypse?_


End file.
